Guidestones

Known for infusing alternative and indie rock with country and pop, the spunky, up-and-coming quartet known as Guidestones are making a serious name for themselves across the Montreal scene and abroad. Perhaps because of this, or perhaps because of their self-proclaimed dedication to making quality music, Guidestones came highly recommended to me for this months’ feature piece by Liz, our very own kick-ass founder here at Bucketlist. (FYI, this means you know they are going to be good.)

Making their rounds this summer, Guidestones have played everything from Le Festival YUL EAT to Montreal’s Bar de Courcelle alongside country-folk rockers Bird’s Eye View (a show that our writer Brian was lucky enough to catch: check out his review here). Actively promoting their debut EP Cut & Run, which was released in April, they have even played a Maritime style ceilidh, or kitchen concert, that perfectly represents the casual and playful-yet-committed air that surrounds their work.

Their most recent video for the track “Hotline” off of Cut & Run exemplifies the spirit of those making music simply for the joy of it. While the EP is best in its more experimental moments, Cut & Run is a remarkably clean synthesis of rock, pop, and country – you can check out an in depth review here.

It is unclear what Guidestones have up their sleeves in the near future, but if this summer is any indication of the direct the band aims to head in, I would keep your eyes peeled for their next appearance in Montreal. (Or maybe even Toronto, for those Ontarians out there…) Either way, Guidestones are not one to miss.

Featuring charmingly badass front woman Gabrielle La Rue (guitar and vocals), Zander Boudreau (drums), Ryan Boudreau (vocals and guitar), and Charles PG (bass), Guidestones are adventurous enough to satisfy dedicated lovers of rock, and accessible enough to launch themselves into indie pop stardom with the likes of Sam Roberts or Arcade Fire. - Bucket List

7.5/10

Oooh baby! This alternative indie-rock album makes the teenage girl in me want to throw my undies out the window as I zoom down the highway with my three girlfriends, Mimi, Kit and Britney Spears. As if Paramore and Kings of Leon got drunk together one night and decided to write an album, Guidestones’s debut EP Cut & Run, released in April of 2016, is a warming package of good vibes and uplifting rhythms suited for the soundtrack of any teenage drama.

Kicking off with “Sugar Coated Love,” my soft spot for pop music was triggered by a thick-sounding drum beat and feel-good guitar riff. I’m a sucker for chick singers, so with Gabrielle La Rue’s solid vocal pipes resonating throughout the EP, I had a pretty raging audio boner going as I listened.

The thing that really disappointed me about the album was the low vocal volume levels. There are two great vocalists on this album: La Rue and Ryan Boudreau. So, the fact that their voices were drowned out by the guitars and drums at times kinda brought my rager to a soft-served level. Pump up the vox! I’m sure there are some pretty meaningful words spoken on the album, but I could not comprehend most of them. This is either the fault of the equalization or else some of us are not articulating, people!

Aside from it being rather difficult to make out and follow along with the lyrical content at times, the rest of the album’s instrumentation has a beautiful tone, with moving rhythms and leads that really complement the sentimental mood of the album. The consistently strong vibes throughout Cut & Run instill both a stimulating sense of drive and comfort. When listening to this album, one might think, “The shitter’s clogged, my Grandpa stinks, and my car’s on fire, but that’s okay.” - Bucket List

Montreal based band Guidestones released their new video for “Hotline” off the Cut & Run EP. The band teamed up with young scenarist Alex James from DopestGhost (Pierre Lapointe, Montag,etc) et AY Films (Moonland, Pearl’s dream) for their first video. The scenes were taken from live shows and around Montreal’s hippest spots.

Founded on positive vibes and a mutual passion for creating music. Four musicians from Montreal, brought together to create a mix of alternative/indie rock, country and pop.

In addition, the band will be headlining YUL EAT festival on September 5th , 2016 at 7pm. - Bucket List

First of all, I want to congratulate Wild Wolf Productions for pulling off a great show with a great line-up. Even in one of the most horribly lit venues I’ve ever seen, the four bands made up for it with their performances. Playing all night in that pain-in-the-ass red lighting made all the photographer’s nights a living hell. Along with a full house, there must have been four or five people in that tiny L’Escogriffe Bar running around either trying to shoot for Bucketlist, filming for a music video, or taking pictures of their family members playing that night. Needless to say, it was a tight squeeze moving around inside. It was so tight that I remember trying to get underneath one of the mics for a picture and kicking the mic stand, temporarily knocking the mic a good foot or two from the singer’s face. No worries though; in seconds the mic rocked back into place, and the show went on. Big apology to Brandon Hafetz for that.

For Halloween weekend, I expected to see some costumes and some wild make up. I don’t remember seeing a single person dressed up for this awesome show, which made me totally forget it was Halloween. There were some other interesting moments in the crowd; for instance, there were two geniuses arguing about whether the guitar player and drummer from Guidestones were brothers or even close to related. My girlfriend had to put an end to their argument by telling them that in fact they are twins. The look on their faces was priceless.

The first to hit the stage was Golden Python, probably one of the friendliest groups of guys I’ve seen. I didn’t get a chance to meet any of them, but I remember seeing them go around before the show, introducing themselves and striking up little conversations with members of the other bands playing that night. Being the polite and friendly band they were, they visually confused me a bit during their set when their vocalist came on stage wearing ear muffs on his forehead and what seemed to be a garbage bag tied around his waist. Who knows? Maybe he was getting a head cold. After I got past his look, I started to get into the music- it was a great set they put on for us, which I quite enjoyed. The only thing I’d say that set them apart from the other three bands was their vocals…they could use some improvement there.

The second and third bands to hit the stage were Hello Holiday out of Sudbury Ontario and Oh Malo out of Boston, Massachusetts. I don’t have much to say about them besides, “WOW! Vocals on point!” These two groups can play! If I’m ever in their area or if they come back to Montreal, I’d gladly dish out money to see these guys. For two bands from out of town, they really packed that place with bodies. These two bands and the headliner all belonged in a bigger venue. The crowd was awesome and full of energy, but energy needs to move and get burned off. I felt like I was in a crowd of little firecrackers about to blow if they didn’t get some air or space to move around.

Last and certainly not least, the headliner of the show Guidestones. What can I say about this band? I’ve only seen them play a few times, from a tiny bar in St-Henri to a huge festival in the Old Port. These guys (and girl) can, and always do, bring it. Wherever they go, they fill the place! They’ve got a nice group of followers consisting of old high school buddies and long-time friends, family members, and new and old fans. Since the minute I stepped into the bar I was pumped to see them on stage again. Playing fan favourites like “Hotline” (which is featured in their new music video) and their own Bryan Adams tribute “Holy Grail,” they really blew the roof off the place. If you’re ever looking for a great show, or just simply looking to scope out some new talent, go check this group out. A perfect opportunity is coming up on November 19th, as I got word that they’re playing a free show, opening for a Coldplay cover band at Club Soda.

It was a great show for all four bands. I’m looking forward to catching you all again sometime soon!

Written and Photographed by Danny Donovan
*edited by Kate Erickson - Bucket List

Du bon gros rock réjouissant, voilà ce que propose le quatuor montréalais Guidestones. Hotline, le deuxième extrait de son EP Cut & Run lancé il y a quelques semaines, est maintenant mis en images dans cette vidéo dévoilée hier. Réalisé par Alex James, le clip met en vedette les quatre musiciens en mode concert, boisson et folies. Bref, les Guidestones, ils s’amusent fort en ville.

Trois des musiciens de Guidestones sont issus de la scène métal montréalaise dont la chanteuse et guitariste Gabrielle La Rue, qui a auparavant été guitariste du groupe Godfalls.

Guidestones sera en concert au Quai de l’Horloge à Montréal le 5 septembre à 19h à l’occasion du festival YUL EAT. - Le Journal Voir

Le tout nouveau groupe Montréalais Guidestones nous invitait dans un endroit plutôt inusité pour le lancement de leur premier EP intitulé Cut & Run. Pour l’occasion, on se retrouvait au deuxième étage du très célèbre café Cléopâtre de la rue Saint-Laurent à Montréal.

Un mélange de membres des familles et des amis des musiciens, de gens des médias et de nouveaux fans se sont rassemblés pour cette soirée qui célèbre la sortie de Cut & Run. La salle était d’ailleurs bien remplie et on pouvait sentir la nervosité mais également l’excitation à travers tout le monde présent. Le groupe, du haut de ses huit mois d’existence, a grandement impressionné par leur présence sur scène. Va sans dire qu’avec un peu de rodage, le groupe ne peut que devenir meilleur.

Sur scène la voix de Gabrielle La Rue est tout simplement sublime et juste. Ryan Boudreau amène ensuite une autre dimension a leur son; ajoutez Charles PG à la basse et Zander Boudreau à la batterie et vous avez les Guidestones.


Juste avant d’entamer la dernière pièce pour la soirée, chaque membre du groupe en a profité pour remercier tous ceux qui ont été présent de près ou de loin pour la réalisation de l’album et du lancement.

Si vous avez aimé le premier simple Northlands paru le 1er avril dernier, vous adorez le EP. Ce dernier est d’ailleurs disponible sur iTunes, Spotify et Bandcamp dès maintenant.

Vous êtes d’ailleurs invité à aller voir le groupe lors de leur prochaine performance complète au Quai des Brumes le dimanche 1er mai. Billets en vente sur http://www.greenland.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/guidestonesofficial - Musik Universe